Chapter 17: Adding and Manipulating Type

Overview

In This Chapter

• Using the type tools

• Setting character and paragraph formatting

• Working with type layer in the Layers palette

• Warping type

• Placing type on a path

• Converting type into shapes and paths

• Creating type-shaped selections

• Adding strokes and layer styles to text-shaped selections

• Creating translucent text

Type is created in Photoshop using four tools: Horizontal Type tool, Vertical Type tool, Horizontal Type Mask tool, and Vertical Type Mask tool.

The first two tools, the Horizontal Type and Vertical Type tools, create editable type. Besides being able to set the type’s attributes — such as font, style, point size, alignment, color, kerning, tracking, and leading — you also can transform editable type, enhance it with layer effects and blending modes, and change its opacity.

Remember

When you create editable type it appears on its own layer, that way it can be edited, moved, and otherwise customized without affecting another layer. Type created in Bitmap, Indexed Color, or Multichannel images will be placed on the Background, not on a layer, so it won’t be editable.

Just like the paths and vector shapes I discuss in Chapter 16, editable type is vector type. That means that it has a crisp, clear look because it is created using mathematical formulas, not pixels.

Because vector type is not pixel based, you won’t be able to paint on the type or apply filters until it is rasterized or turned into pixels. And after you rasterize your type layer, you can’t change the type’s attributes.

The other two type tools, the Horizontal Type Mask tool and Vertical Type Mask tool, create selections in the shape of type characters. After you create a type-shaped selection, you can save the selection as an alpha channel, convert it into a layer mask, or turn it into a shape layer. (For more about alpha channels, turn to Chapter 15; for information on layer masks, see Chapter 8; for shape layers, look at Chapter 16.)

In this chapter, I show you how to create, transform, and modify editable type in your Photoshop projects.